1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disinfectant or sterilizing agent for preventing coccidiosis in animals.
2. Description of the Related Art
Coccidium is a internal parasitic protozoan belonging to the genus of Eimeria and has been shown to infect a high percentage of poultry and rabbits and has thus has caused considerable damage to the poultry and farming industries. In addition, due to the recent pet boom, parasitism in dogs and cats has drastically increased. Countermeasures are urgently sought for the poultry and farming industries as well as the pet industry.
The damage caused by coccidium infections has been especially serious in the poultry industry. For example, avian fecal coccidiosis produces acute symptoms in chicks including hemorrhagic diarrhea, resulting in death within several days. Arian coccidiosis infestation of the small intestine of mature poultry produces chronic symptoms, however it rarely results in the death of mature poultry. Nevertheless, infections in mature poultry cause as much damage as fecal coccidiosis in chicks, because parasitic infection of the small intestine of mature poultry for long periods of time results in malnutrition. Countermeasures against coccidiosis are basically divided into two categories: (1) preventive measures to exterminate or decrease the source of infection, i.e. measures to irradicate coccidium oocysts, or to prevent or inhibit oocyst sporulation; and (2) therapeutic measures to hinder the metamorphosis of oocysts, and ultimately killing the oocysts in the intestinal tract of an infected animal.
As a general rule, the first category of countermeasures, treating the source of infection, is more important; in other words, it is more important to exterminate or decrease the source of infection, i.e. irradicate coccidium oocysts, or to prevent or inhibit oocyst sporulation into infectious mature oocyst, than to just treat infected animals. Coccidium oocysts, which are discharged outside the body of a host organism, are enclosed in scleroprotein and lipoid which renders them highly resistant to elevated temperatures and environmental conditions, consequently oocysts cause repeated reinfections. Furthermore, various sterilizing agents which are effective for killing bacteria and viruses are ineffective at normal temperatures for killing coccidium oocysts.
The biological structure of infectious pathogens belonging to the Phylum Protozoa differs in Subphylum. Coccidium belongs to the Subphylum Apicomplexa. For example, Protozoan organisms belonging to the Subphyla Sarcomastigophora or Ciliophora have a very simple structure, while coccidium oocysts of the Subphylum Apicomplexa have a surface structure which is comprised of scleroprotein and lipoid, as previously described. Further, organisms of the Subphyla Sarcomastigophora or Ciliophora reach their infectious maturity inside the body of the host organism and are very sensitive to environmental conditions and chemical agents. Coccidium oocysts which are discharged outside the body of the host organism have infectious ability after maturity. Specifically, the pathogenesis of coccidium oocysts is different from other Protozoan pathogens. In particular, coccidium oocysts reach their infectious maturity when discharged outside the body of the host organism. In addition, coccidium oocysts are highly resistant to harsh environmental conditions, extreme temperatures and chemicals.
Orthodichloric sterilizing agents are especially effective at inhibiting the sporulation of coccidium oocysts and have been widely used. However, orthodichloric sterilizing agents are not satisfactory because they are only slightly stronger than other sterilizing agents and they have virtually no effect on mature oocysts, those that have completed sporulation, which are found in the environment. Furthermore, orthodichloric sterilizing agents are not effective against general pathogens, therefore in actual sterilization regimes orthodichloric disinfectants must be used in conjunction with other disinfectants, and are therefore used alternatively and repeatedly with other disinfectants, thus, complicating the sterilization process.
Therefore a need exists to develop a sterilizing agent which is effective against coccidium oocysts and other pathogens in a single application.